The Relationship Between the Shape of the Articular Surfaces of the Temporomandibular Joint and the Shape of the Skull

The relevance of this study is determined by the high frequency of patient visits with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pathologies, which highlights the need for a more detailed study of the anatomical and morphological features of the joint's bony structures and their relationship with the shape of the skull. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the shape of the articular surfaces of the TMJ and the skull type in individuals of the first mature age period. Material and methods. The research material consisted of the results of cone-beam computed tomography scans performed in sagittal and frontal projections on 155 patients aged 21 to 35 years with orthognathic occlusion and physiological occlusion. Results. The study results showed that an oval mandibular fossa was most frequently associated with an oval mandibular condyle: on the right side in 38.1% of cases, and on the left side in 36.8% of cases. With an angular-shaped fossa, an oval condyle also predominated: on the right side in 11% of observations and on the left side in 13%. With a conical fossa on the right side, a conical condyle was more common (6.4%), whereas on the left side with the same fossa shape, a bean-shaped mandibular condyle predominated (11%). For a rounded fossa on the right side, a bean-shaped condyle was most characteristic (10.3%), while on the left side, a conical condyle was most characteristic (7.1%). An oval shape of the mandibular fossa was the most prevalent across all skull types. Bilateral asymmetry in the shape of the mandibular condyle was not statistically confirmed; therefore, the analysis was conducted considering the overall relationship between skull shape and mandibular condyle shape.  Conclusion. The study  confirms the existence of a relationship between the shape of the articular surfaces of the TMJ and the neurocranium. These structural features may be associated with differences in the anatomy and biomechanics of the jaw-facial apparatus among different skull types.

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